Colorful ornaments of Tanabata during the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival on July 8, 2016 in Hiratsuka, Japan. Tanabata is a Japanese star festival celebrated on July 7 every year. People enjoy going out wearing traditional yukata robe and write their wishes on colorful paper strips to hang on bamboo trees. Japan celebrates the iconic Tanabata. This festival is one of five festivals which customarily signal the changing of the seasons in Japan. Also known as the Star Festival, Tanabata has its origins in a Chinese festival and concerns the romantic legend between two (literally) star-crossed lovers, Princess Orihime the Weaver and Hikoboshi the Cowherd. The pair are represented by the stars Vega and Altair, separated by the Milky Way galaxy, and can only meet on this day once a year when a flock of sympathetic magpies form a bridge for them across the river of heaven.

Manpuku-temple Firewalking Festival, Jan.28,2016, Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Hibuse Matsuri in Manpuku-temple is a traditional firewalking ceremony of barefoot mountain priests. In "Hibuse Matsuri", after the questions and answers by mountaineering ascetics, a fire is made with sacred cards of the previous year and New Year's decorations collected in the precinct of the temple, and to the reading of the sutras also chanting various esoteric incantations and perform rituals with sword, bows and arrows, barefoot mountain priests walk over the fire followed by general worshippers, praying for health and happiness.

Japanese New Year Ice Bath 2016 January 9, 2016, Tokyo, Japan. A participant pours himself cold water during the Annual New Year ice bath ceremony at Kanda Myojin Shinto. A group of 36 brave men a women wearing only shorts or loincloths pour cold water over themselves in a traditional "soul-purification" ceremony to test their endurance, they believe would purify their souls and bring them good luck.

Akibasan Gongen Hibuse Matsuri or Fire Festival is held for over 400 years, in the compound of Ryokakuin Temple, Odawara, Kanagawa Pref. The Buddhist monks chant various esoteric incantations and perform rituals, bearing broadaxes, halberds, bows and arrows from around 3 pm. Then finally Hi-watari-shiki or rigorous religions practice of walking on burnt charcoal is conducted by monks from around 6 pm to 8 pm.